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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23488039">mother, may i go out to swim?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothicalcreatures/pseuds/mothicalcreatures'>mothicalcreatures</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Terror (TV 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Kid Fic, M/M, Swim lessons, the terror decameron</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 09:00:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23488039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mothicalcreatures/pseuds/mothicalcreatures</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>It started when Thomas told the ladies in Moira’s parent-child swim class that he didn’t have a wife.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Thomas Jopson/Lt Edward Little</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>the terror decameron</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>mother, may i go out to swim?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crowleysheiress/gifts">Crowleysheiress</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the prompt "Joplittle and gossipy/flirty swim lesson moms" from Crowleysheiress and the Terror Decameron prompt for day 1 "smart remarks."</p>
<p>The title is from a nursery rhyme.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">It started when Thomas told the ladies in Moira’s parent-child swim class that he didn’t have a wife. While it was certainly true that he didn’t have a wife, he <em>was </em>married… to Edward. In his defense, the question put to him had not been ‘Are you married?’ or ‘Do you have a wife?’ it had been, ‘Why doesn’t your wife ever bring Moira to swim lessons?’ There’d been no time for further conversation, because Miss Julie had called class to session and then Thomas had promptly forgotten about it, because he was long past the point of dwelling on the actions of people who assumed he was heterosexual. That is… until the following week’s swim lesson.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">“So where do you work?” Susan asked, as they were slowly floating their kids through the pool’s small lazy river channel (the current was off presently).</p>
<p class="p1">Thomas shifted the way he was holding Moira on her back. “I’m stay at home mostly, but I do marketing and PR consulting.”</p>
<p class="p1">“Oh that must be so nice to be able to work from home,” Susan said with a drawn out sigh.</p>
<p class="p1">That… hadn’t quite been what Thomas had said, but he went with it, because he was doing some freelance work at present. “Yes, it is. Freelancing has been very helpful in not falling out of touch with the field. What do you do?”</p>
<p class="p1">Susan tittered. “Me? I’m a wellness coach. You should come down to my studio sometime, once you get a minute, of course. I’ll give you a free work up.”</p>
<p class="p1">Several red flags went up in Thomas’s brain. “What does a work up entail?” he asked, hoping for an interruption to come before he had to give a yes or no.</p>
<p class="p1">“Oh! Well, we’d do some food testing panels, test for toxins…” </p>
<p class="p1">And there it was… Thomas tuned out until he heard Miss Julie calling them all back to attention for their next activity, blowing bubbles and playing motorboat motorboat.</p>
<p class="p1">After the lesson Susan fished a business card out of her purse and handed it to Thomas. “We will see each other next week, but if you get a moment to yourself abruptly and it’s not a Wednesday morning, just give me a call and I’ll fit you in no matter how busy I am.”</p>
<p class="p1">Thomas gave his thanks and slid it into Moira’s diaper bag, where he planned to forget about it. At least until, one of the other mom’s, Kathy, sidled up to him as he made his way to the locker room. “You know, Susan’s married. Her husband’s just some hot shot international businessman who’s never home.”</p>
<p class="p1"><em>Oh.</em> Thomas groaned. “Thank you for letting me know.”</p>
<p class="p1">Kathy smiled. “You’re welcome. You seem like a nice guy, I didn’t want you getting caught up in her claws.”</p>
<p class="p1">Thomas nodded, intending to reply that he was also married, and gay to boot, but they’d reached the split between the men’s and women’s locker rooms and Kathy gave him a wave and a “see you next week” and disappeared into the women’s locker room.</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">Edward laughed when Thomas informed him of the whole thing over dinner that evening. “Maybe I should take off work next Wednesday morning,just to confuse everyone.” </p>
<p class="p1">Thomas chuckled, leaning over airplane some chicken flavored baby food into Moira’s mouth. She clapped enthusiastically, upending the dish, which Thomas caught quickly.</p>
<p class="p1">“I don’t know if I could survive that sort of disruption to my routine,” Thomas said, teasing.</p>
<p class="p1">That got another laugh out of Edward and Moira gave a happy shriek, clearly catching on that something was worth laughing about.</p>
<p class="p1">“Maybe you could sleep in,” Edward teased back, and Thomas gave an overdramatic sigh.</p>
<p class="p1">“I <em>suppose</em> I could let you take her for one week. I’ll have to give you the rundown on the other parents, of course.” Thomas grinned. “I wouldn’t want to send you in blind.” </p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">Thomas returned the week after, and was greeted by a flutter of questions about Edward.</p>
<p class="p1">“I know you said<span class="Apple-converted-space"> y</span>ou didn’t have a wife, but was that really your husband last week?” Sarah asked as they sat with their kids in the shallows, waitingfor class to start.</p>
<p class="p1">Thomas nodded. “Ned’s work schedule doesn’t usually allow for him to bring Moira to lessons, but he had some time off last week.”</p>
<p class="p1">“I thought Susan was going to have a conniption when he introduced himself as your husband,” Kathy said.</p>
<p class="p1">Thomas did his best to smother his laughter, and was rather effective at it, but Sarah made no such attempt. “She was huffy for the entire class.”</p>
<p class="p1">When Susan arrived a few minutes later, Kathy leaned in to whisper, "Don't worry, we'll keep you safe." </p>
<p class="p1">Thomas did allowed himself a chuckle at that. “Thank you, I’d appreciate that greatly.”</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yes, the JopLittle baby is named for Francis Rawdon Moira Crozier. Who else would they name their child after.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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